Associations mourn
“Big friend”: Footballer succumbed to illness at the age of 32
01.03.2025 – 2:34 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Nico Hidalgo fought a treacherous illness for years. Now the former player at the age of only 32 has died.
Several Spanish football clubs said goodbye to Nico Hidalgo. The professional from Motril succumbed to a serious illness on Saturday night, such as Granada, Cadiz and Real Racing on the platform X. As early as 2021, lung cancer with bone metastases was diagnosed.
Despite the devastating diagnosis, he continued his struggle with great determination and searched for support in the oncological department (UAPO), where he trained alongside the doctor Jesús Candel, known as “Spiriman”. Candel also died of cancer in 2022.
Hidalgo started his career in Motril’s youth before joining Granada. There he made the leap into the first team, where he made his debut against Córdoba in Copa del Rey in December 2014. After stations at Racing Santander and Cádiz, a new move to Juventus Turin followed. The Italians borrowed him back to Granada until 2016 before finally withdrawing from professional football.
The news of his death triggered great dismay in the football world. FC Granada said goodbye with the words: “Forever in the memory of Granadinismo.” The club paid tribute to its combative attitude and connection with the association. In 2022 he was honored in the Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes during the Trofeo Ciudad de Granada and received a framed jersey with number seven from the hands of the club representative Pepe Macanás.
In addition to Granada, his former clubs also expressed their sympathy. Racing Santander announced that it would hold a minute’s silence before the next game against Elche. The team from Motalgo described the team as a “big friend” of the club.
In August 2022, Hidalgo spoke in an interview about his illness. Despite the difficult diagnosis, he had never given up hope of returning to the square. “It was a cold shower. If you experience something like this, you are never prepared for it. I don’t smoke, I took care of myself all my life, I was committed to sport and it is difficult to cope with something like that,” he said at the time.